Method and apparatus for preventing interruption of a spinning process during breakage of the spun thread



I Nov. 28, 1967 J. ELIAS ETAL 3,354,631 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING INTERRUPTION OF A SPINNING PROCESS DURING BPEAKAGE OF THE SPUN THREAD Filed April 20, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 28, 1967 J. ELIAS ETAL 3,354,631

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING INTERRUPTION OF A SPINNING PROCESS DURING BREAKAGE OF THE SPUN THREAD Filed April 20, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H TiL United States Patent Ofi fice 3,354,631 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 3,354,631 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING INTERRUPTION OF A SPINNING PROCESS DUR- ING BREAKAGE OF THE SPUN THREAD Jiri Elias, Brandys nad Orlici, Heiena Adamkova, Usti nad Orlici, Miroslav Boucek, Jasenna, Jaroslav Kolar, Retova, and Miroslav Samek and Pavel Vlcek, 'Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia, assignors to Vyzkumny ustav bavlnarsky, Usti nad Orlici, Czechoslovakia Filed Apr. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 543,826 Claims priority, application Czechoslovakia, Apr. 20, 1964, 2,280/64 Claims. (Cl. 57-5835) The present application is a continuation-in-part application of the application Ser. No. 448,333 filed Apr. 15, 1965, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preventing interruption of a spinning process during breakage of the spun thread.

Spinning machines are known in the art which comprise a rotating spinning chamber and a delivery tube projecting in direction of the axis of rotation of the spinning chamber from one end thereof. In spinning machines of this type the fibers to be spun are fed into the spinning chamber at an end thereof opposite said one end and the fibers are spun during fast rotation of the spinning chamber about its axis of rotation into a thread or yarn which is continuously drawn out from the spinning chamber through the delivery tube by a pair of delivery rollers engaging the spun thread, and the latter is then wound on a bobbin by means of a lap roller. During the spinning process a pressure less than atmospheric pressure is maintained by means known in the art in the spinning chamber.

When the spun thread breaks, the introduction of the end of the broken thread into the spinning chamber used to be accomplished manually by lifting the bobbin from the lap roller and by unwinding of a certain length of thread from the bobbin and by then manually introducing the thread end into the delivery tube from where the thread end was sucked in to the spinning chamber by the under-pressure maintained therein. The thread end was then connected in the spinning chamber in a known manner with the thread being created therein, whereupon the thread was taken up again by the delivery rollers and wound on the bobbin by means of the lap roller. Substantially the same manual operation was performed at the start of the spinning process.

However, this manual operation is evidently cumbersome and time consuming and various attempts have been made to provide for automatic means for returning the broken end of the thread into the spinning chamber or for automatically starting a spinning process by feeding the end of a spun thread into the spinning chamber.

Such automatic means are known in the art, however, the automatic means for reintroducing broken thread into the spinning chamber did not successfully work out in practice since the known means are rather complicated and besides do not reliably assure reintroduction of the broken thread into the spinning chamber.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a method and apparatus for preventing interruption of a spinning process during breakage of the span thread and to reliably reintroduce the broken end of the thread into the spinning chamber or to reliably feed an end of a thread into the spinning chamber during start of the spinning process.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for a spinning apparatus of the aforementioned type which is constructed of relatively few and simple parts so that the apparatus will operate trouble-free during extended use.

With these objects in view, the method according to the present invention for preventing interruption of a spinning process during breakage of the spun thread in spinning machines having a rotating spinning chamber mainly comprises the steps of continuously withdrawing the spun thread in one direction out of the delivery tube projecting in said one direction from the spinning chamber, sensing the presence or absence of a thread in one end portion of the tube adjacent the spinning chamber, producing when the thread breaks and in the absence of a thread in said one end portion of the tube a signal, and using said signal to cause movement of said broken thread in a direction opposite to said one direction before the broken end of the thread passes out of the tube so as to return the broken end into the spinning chamber. The withdrawal of the thread in the aforementioned direction from the tube is preferably produced by roller means located adjacent the other end of the tube and rotating in a given direction and in this case the signal produced by the sensing means is used for causing reversal of the direction of rotation of the roller means.

The method preferably includes also a further step of withdrawing again the thread from the delivery tube after a predetermined time period or after a certain length of thread is fed in reverse direction through the tube into the spinning chamber. The method may also include the steps of using the signal produced during absence of a thread in the one end portion of the tube for preventing fibers to be spun in the spinning chamber to be fed into the latter while the broken thread is moved in reverse direction into the spinning chamber and to restore feeding of fibers into the spinning chamber again when the thread is again withdrawn out of the spinning chamber.

' The spinning machine according to the present invention mainly comprises a spinning chamber rotatable about its axis and having an inlet end and an outlet end, drive means connected to the spinning chamber for rotating the latter about its axis, a delivery tube projecting in axial direction from the spinning chamber and having a receiving end at said outlet end of said chamber and an opposite delivery end, roller means beyond said delivery end of said tube rotatable about axes traverse to said axis of said spinning chamber for withdrawing a thread spun in the spinning chamber through the tube out of the latter, second drive means for driving said roller means in a given direction, thread sensing means in the region of the receiving end of the tube for sensing the presence or absence of a thread in said region, and reversing means controlled by said thread sensing means for reversing rotation of the roller means when the thread sensing means senses the absence of a thread in said region, whereby during breakage of the spun thread the end of the broken thread is prevented from leaving the tube and is returned into the spinning chamber.

Preferably, the apparatus includes also restoring means cooperating with the aforementioned reversing means for restoring rotation of the roller means in the given direction after the roller means have made a predetermined number of revolutions in the direction opposite to said given direction.

The apparatus further preferably includes feeding means upstream of the inlet end of the spinning chamber for feeding fibers to be spun along a given path into the inlet end of the spinning chamber, deflector means between the inletof the given path so that the fibers will bypass the spinning chamber and an inactive position permitting the fibers to pass into the spinning chamber, and moving means controlled by the sensing means for moving the deflector means to the active position in the absence of a thread in the aforementioned region of the delivery tube.

Preferably, the spinning machine includes further timer means controlled by the sensing means and cooperating with the aforementioned moving means for causing the deflector means to return to the inoperative position a predetermined time after the end of a broken thread has been returned to the spinning chamber and the sensing means have sensed again the presence of the thread in the aforementioned region of the delivery tube.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the spinning apparatus according to the present invention; and

7 FIG. 2 is a wiring diagram illustrating the electric connection of various components of the spinning machine.

Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIG. 1 in which the spinning machine of the present invention is schematically illustrated, it will be seen that the spinning machine may comprise a spinning chamber 1 of known construction adapted to rotate about a vertical axis and to be rotated about its axis by means of an electric motor 3 and a belt drive 2 connected in a known manner to the spinning chamber for rotating the latter about its axis. Means known in the art are located in the spinning chamber for maintaining in the interior of the latter a pressure less than atmospheric pressure during rotation of the spinning chamber about its axis. The spinning chamber 1 has at its lower end thereof an inlet end through which fibers to be spun in the spinning chamber may be introduced thereinto and at its upper end an outlet end. A delivery tube 9 projects in direction of the axis of rotation of the spinning chamber from the outlet end of the latter and a pair of delivery rollers 12, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1' are located above the upper delivery end of the tube 9 so that a thread 11 spun in the spinning chamber 1 and passing through the delivery tube 9 may be engaged between the delivery rollers 12 to be withdrawn from the tube during rotation of the delivery rollers in a given direction. The thread 11 passes from the delivery rollers 12 over a lap roller 13 of known construction to be wound onto a bobbin 27 frictionally engaging the lap roller to be rotated therewith.

The machine comprises further means for feeding fibers to be spun through the inlet end of the spinning chamber*1 into the interior of the latter. These means preferably comprise a pair of feed rollers 6, only the front one of which is shown in FIG. 1, and at least one of which is rotated in a proper direction by the motor 7 so that the fibers S'introduced between the rollers 6 are fed along a given path into the lower inlet end of the spinning chamber. Tube means 4a, 4b are located between the feed rollers 6 and the inlet end of the spinning chamber 1 and the tube means 4a, 4b are mounted for tilting movement about an axis normal to the axis of the spinning chamber movable between the position shown in FIG. 1 in which the tube 4a is aligned along a path for the fibers 5 leading from the feed rollers 6'into the spinning chamber 1 and second position in which the lower end of the tube 4b is moved to a position receiving the fibers emanating from between the feed rollers 6 and in this case the fibers passing through the tube 4b are deflected from the aforementioned path so as to bypass the spinning chamber. The tube 4b forms therefore deflecting means movable between an active position for deflecting fibers fed by the feed rollers 6 so that the fibers will bypass the spinning chamber 1 and an inactive position permitting the fibers to pass into the spinning chamber. Moving means 8, to be described in detail later on, are connected to the tube means 4a, 4b for moving the same between the positions thereof. Biasing means for instance a spring not shown in the drawing are connected to the tube means 4a, 4b so that the same tend to stay in the position shown in FIG. 1.

The spinning machine includes further thread sensing means 10 in the region of the lower end or receiving end of the delivery tube 9 for sensing the presence or absence of a thread in the region of the receiving end of the tube. The thread sensing means 10 may operate by change of air pressure in the tube 9 depending on whether a continuous thread is passing through the tube or whether the thread is broken, or the thread sensing means may be in the form of an electric eye sensing the presence or absence of a thread in the aforementioned region of the tube 9 or the thread sensing means may also be in the form of a mechanical feeler sensing the presence or absence of a thread in the lower end of the delivery tube. The specific construction of the thread sensing means does not form part of the present invention and any thread sensing means producing a signal in the absence of a thread in the region of the lower end of the delivery tube and which may be used for actuating a switch may be used in the spinning machine of the present invention.

The spinning machine includes further drive means for driving at least one of the delivery rollers 12 as well as the lap roller 13 in one direction during normal operation of the machine in which the thread 11 is withdrawn out of the tube 9 and means for reversing the direction of rotation of the delivery roller and lap roller when a breakage of the thread occurs and the sensing means 10 sense the absence of a thread in the lower end of the delivery tube 9.

The shaft 21 on which the driven delivery roller 12 is mounted for rotation therewith and a shaft 14 on which the lap roller 13 is mounted are connected to each other for simultaneous rotation in the same direction and for this purpose a sprocket gear 22 may be fixedly connected to the shaft 21 and another sprocket gear 15 to the shaft 14 while a sprocket chain 32 wound about the two sprocket gears connects the shafts 14 and .21 for simultaneous rotation in the same direction. The shaft 14 is driven from the motor 7 and in order to turn the shaft 14 as well as the shaft 21 connected therewith in one or in the opposite direction reversing means 17 are provided between the shaft 14 and the motor 7 so that the shaft 14 may be driven in the one or the opposite direction from the motor 7 while the latter rotates only in one direction.

The reversing means 17 may include,as schematically indicated in FIG. 1, a first pair of spur gears 29 and 30 mounted on the shaft 14 freely rotatable about the latter while being prevented in any convenient manner from shifting in axial direction along the shaft, An additional shaft 34 extends spaced and substantially parallel to the shaft 14 and the shaft 34 carries a second pair of spur gears 33 and 35 fixedly connected thereto so that the spur gears 33 and 35 will rotate together with the shaft 34. The spur gear33 has a larger diameter than the spur gear 35 and the spur gear '33 meshes directly with the spur gear 29 on the shaft 14, whereas an idler gear 36 is located between the spur gear 35 and the spur gear 30 meshing with the two gears so that during rotation of the shaft 34 the gears 29 and 30 on the shaft 14 are respec-' tively rotated in opposite direction. A sprocket gear 20 is. fixed to the shaft of the motor 7 and a corresponding. sprocket gear 37 is fixed to the shaft 34 and a sprocket chain 19 wound about the sprocket gears 20 and 37 transmits a drive from the motor 7 to the shaft 34.-Electromag.-.

netic coupling means having a pair of magnet coils 31 and 32 are located on the shaft 14 in the space between the spur gears 29 and 30. The electromagnetic coupling means are connected for instance by a sliding key arrangement to the shaft 14 so that the electromagnetic coupling means may slide in axial direction of the shaft 14 while being constrained to rotate therewith. In the neutral position as shown in FIG. 1 the electromagnetic coupling means is spaced from the inner faces of the spur gears 29 and 30. When the coil 31 is energized, in the manner as will be described later in detail, the electromagnetic coupling means will be shifted to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1, by the magnetic flux produced during energizing of the coil 31 so that the spur gear 29 will be coupled to the shaft 14 and the latter rotated in direction of rotation of the spur gear 29. The arrangement is made in such a manner that when the spur gear 29 is coupled to the shaft 14, the lap roller 13 fixed to the latter as Well as the delivery roller 12 driven in the aforementioned manner from the shaft 14 are rotated in a direction withdrawing the thread 11 out of the delivery tube 9. On the other hand, when the coil 32 is energized the electromagnetic coupling means will be shifted towards the right, as viewed in FIG. 1, and the spur gear 30 will be coupled to the shaft 14 so that the lap roller 13 and the delivery roller 12 connected to the shaft 14 are driven in the opposite direction to unwind a thread from the bobbin 27 and to feed the thread 11 in reverse direction into the delivery tube 9.

The spinning machine preferably includes further restoring means 23 cooperating with the reversing means 17 for restoring rotation of the delivery roller 12 and the lap roller 13 in the first mentioned direction, that is in a direction in which a thread 11 is withdrawn from the delivery tube 9 to be wound on the bobbin 27, after the delivery roller 12 has made a predetermined number of revolutions in a direction in which the thread 11 is fed into the spinning chamber 1, or after a predetermined length of thread has been wound off from the bobbin 27 and fed in direction toward the spinning chamber 1. The restoring means 23 may include as schematically indicated in FIG. 1 electromagnetic coupling means 38 mounted on the shaft 21 which carries the delivery roller 12 and the sprocket gear 22 and the electromagnetic coupling means 38 couple when energized, a shaft 21 with the shaft 21 and the shaft 21' drives preferably over a reduction gearing 24a a rotatable cam 24 having cam portion which is adapted during rotation of the cam 24 to engage cam 24' connected to a switch 25 which during engagement of the cams 24 and 24 is opened. The switch 25 is electrically connected, in a manner as will be described in detail later on, to an electrical control arrangement 28 as schematically shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates the wiring diagram of the control arrangement 28 and the connection of the various electromagnetic components above described to the control arrangement 28.

The control arrangement 28 comprises a main relay 44, a controlling relay 48 and a time relay 53 and various switches connected to the relays to be operated thereby. The switches which are operated from the main relay 44 are respectively numbered 44a, 44b and 440, the switches operated from the controlling relay 48 are numbered 48a, 48b and 480, and 48d, and the switch operated by the time relay 53 is designated with 53a. The various switches are shown in FIG. 2 in full lines in the positions which they will occupy when the respective relays are not energized and the respective switches will be moved from the positions shown in FIG. 2 to the opposite positions shown in dotted lines when the respective relays are energized. The switch 26 directly controlled from the thread sensing means is shown in the position it will assume during normal operation of the spinning machine, that is when the thread sensing means senses the presence of a thread in the lower or receiving end of the delivery tube 9. The various relays, switches and electromagnetic means are connected to each other and to a source of electrical energy as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

The above described spinning machine will operate as follows:

When the spinning operation is to be started, the motors 3 and 7 are energized by closing the switches 40 and 41 so that the motor 3 rotates by means of the belt 2 the spinning chamber 1 about its axis, whereas the motor 7 drives the delivery roller 6 so that the fibers 5 to be spun are fed toward the spinning chamber 1. The motor 7 drives also over the sprocket gears 20 and 37 and the sprocket chain 19 the shaft 34 whereby the gears 29 and 30 are rotated in opposite direction on the shaft 14. The electromagnetic coupling means 31, 32 located between the gears 29 and 32 is in the neutral position as shown in FIG. 1 and therefore the shaft 14 is not rotated and the lap roller 13 and the delivery rollers 12 remain at standstill.

At this moment, the end of a thread 11 is located in the suction tube just above the sensing means 10 so that the latter will sense the absence of a thread at the lower end of the delivery tube 9. The sensing means 10 are connected in a known manner to the switch 26 in such a way that when the sensing means sense the absence of a thread at the lower end of the delivery tube 9 the switch 26 is moved from the full line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted line position, in which as can be clearly ascertained from FIG. 2, the controlling relay 48 is connected to the source of electrical energy over the normally closed switch 25 so that the controlling relay 48 is energized moving thereby the switches 48a, 48b, 48c and 48d from the positions shown in full lines in FIG. 2 to the positions shown in dotted lines. By closing the switch 48d the electromagnetic means 8 of the deflecting means will be energized and thereby the tube 48b will be aligned with the fibers emanating from the delivery roller and the fibers will thereby be deflected to bypass the spinning chamber 1. The pushbutton switch 42 is then momentarily manually closed which energizes the main relay 44 moving thereby the switches 44a, 44b and 44c from a position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 to the position shown in dotted lines. Switch 44a is a hold-over switch, which when closed will maintain the main relay 44 energized even if the pushbutton switch 42 is released and returns to its open position. Closing of the switch 440 will cause energizing of the coil 32 of the electromagnetic clutch of the reversing means 17 so that the lap roller 13 and the delivery roller 12 are turned in a direction in which a thread is wound from the bobbin 27 and fed through the delivery tube 9 into the spinning chamber 1. As soon as the end of the thread passes during its movement into the spinning chamber 1 the sensing means 10 the latter will actuate the switch 26 to move the latter back to the full line position shown in FIG. 2 energizing thereby over the switch 48b which had been closed in the meantime by the energized controlling relay 48 so that the time relay 53 as well as the electromagnetic clutch 38 of the restoring means 23 are energized. Energizing of the time relay 53 will open after a preset time interval the switch 53a so that the magnet 8 of the deflecting means will be denergized and thereby the tube means 4a, 411 will pivot so that the tube means 4a will become aligned with the fibers emanating from the feed roller 6 and the fibers 5 will be fed into the spinning chamber 1. Energizing the magnetic clutch 38 of the restoring means 23 causes the shaft 21' to rotate so that the cam 24 will engage with the cam 24' to open the switch 25, thereby deenergizing the controlling relay 48. This in turn will cause movement of the switches connected to the controlling relay 48 from the dotted line positions shown in FIG. 2 to the full line positions and during such movement of the switch 480 the coil 32 of the magnetic clutch of the reversing means 17 becomes deenergized and the coil 31 energized so that the gear 29 will be connected to the shaft 14 and the lap roller 13 as well as the delivery roller 12 will be driven in a direction so as to withdraw the thread 11 from the delivery tube 9 and to wind the thread onto the bobbin 27. Normal spinning operation will now proceed.

If breakage of a thread spun in the spinning chamber now occurs the arrangement will operate as follows:

When the end of the broken thread 11 passes upwardly beyond the region of the lower end of the delivery tube 9 controlled by the sensing means 10, the latter will sense the absence of the thread and move thereby the switch 26 from the full line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted line position. This in turn will energize the controlling relay 48 which will cause movement of the switches connected thereto from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 to the positions shown in dotted lines. Closing the switch 48a will maintain the controlling relay 48 energized and moving the switch 480 from the full line to the dotted line position will deenergize the coil 31 and energize the coil 32 of the magnetic clutch of the reversing means 17 so that the gear 30 will be connected to the shaft 14 and the lap roller 13 as well as the delivery roller 12 will rotate in reverse direction whereby the end of the thread 11 is returned into the spinning chamber 1. At the same time, closing of the switch 48d causes energizing of the magnet of the deflecting means 8 which displaces the tube means 4a, 4b so that the tube portion 4b will be aligned with the fibers 5 emanating from the feed rolls 6 and the fibers will be deflected to bypass the spinning chamber. As the end of the broken thread 11 during its return in the spinning chamber passes the section of the delivery tube 9 cont-rolled by the sensing means 10, the latter will again sense the presence of a thread in the tube and cause thereby the switch 26 to return from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 to the full line position energizing thereby the time relay 53 and the magnet 38 of the restoring means 23. After a preset time interval has elapsed the switch 53a will be opened by the time relay 53 and thereby the magnet 8 will be deenergized so that the tube means 4a, 4b will again pivot and return to the position shown in FIG. 1 so that the fibers 5 will be fed into the spinning chamber 1. At the same time, energizing of the clutch 33 of the restoring means 23 will cause, as described above, opening of the switch 25, which in turn will deenergize the control relay 48 so that the switches connected thereto will return to the positions shown in full line in FIG. 2. Movement of the switch 480 to the full line position as shown in FIG. 2 Will cause deenergizing of the coil 32 and energizing of the coil 31 of the electromagnetic clutch of the reversing means 17 so that the gear 29 will be connected to the shaft 14 and the lap roller 13 as well as the delivery roller 12 will again be rotated in feeding direction withdrawing the thread from the delivery tube 9 and winding the same onto the bobbin 27.

In order to stop the spinning machine the operation will be as follows:

By momentarily pushing the pushbutton switch 43 the main relay 44 will be deenergized and the switches 44a, 44b and 440 connected thereto will return to the positions shown in full lines in FIG. 2, which means that the magnet 8 of the deflecting means will be energized and thereby the tube portion 4b will be aligned with the fibers emanating from the feed rolls 6 so that the fibers 5 will bypass the spinning chamber 1. After the fibrous material in the spinning chamber 1 has been exhausted, the end of the thread 11 will pass through the delivery tube 9 beyond the region controlled by the thread sensing means 11 and in the absence of a thread in this region, the switch 26 will be moved from the full line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted line position, energizing thereby the control relay 48 and the switches connected thereto will be moved from the full line positions shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted line positions. Closing of the holdover switch 48a will maintain the control relay 48 energized and moving of the switch 480 from the full line position to the dotted line position will deenergize the coil 31 of the electromagnetic clutch of the reversing means 17. The coil 32 of this clutch will remain deenergized, since the switch 44c is opened, the main relay 44 being deenergized as mentioned before, by momentraily opening the switch 43. Since both coils of the electromagnetic clutch of the reversing means 17 are deenergized, the lap roller 13 and the delivery rollers 12 are not driven and the end of the thread 11 will stay in the tube 9. Thereafter, the electric motors 3 and 8 are stopped by opening the switches 40 and 41.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of spinning machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a spinning machine with automatic thread breakage control, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention, that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that from the standpoint of prior art fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A method for preventing interruption of a spinning process during breakage of the spun thread in a spinning machine having a rotating spinning chamber, comprising the steps of continuously withdrawing the spun thread in one direction out of a delivery tube projecting in said one direction from said spinning chamber; sensing the presence or absence of a thread in one end portion of the tube adjacent the spinning chamber; producing when the thread breaks and in the absence of a thread in said one end portion of the tube a signal; and using said signal to cause movement of said broken thread in a direction opposite said one direction before the broken end of the thread passes out of the tube so as to return the broken end into the spinning chamber.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein withdrawal of the thread in said one direction is produced by roller means located adjacent the other end of the tube and rotating in a given direction, and wherein said signal is used for causing reversal of the direction of rotation of said roller means.

3. A method asset forth in claim 1 and including the steps of feeding fibers to be spun into the spinning -cham her while the spun thread is withdrawn in said one direction out of the tube, and using said signal also to prevent feeding of fibers into the spinning chamber while the broken thread is moved in a direction opposite to said one direction.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 and including the steps of feeding fibers to be spun along a given path into the spinning chamber while the spun thread is withdrawn in said one direction out of the tube, and using said signal to deflect the fibers out of said given path so that the fibers will bypass the spinning chamber while the broken thread is moved in a direction opposite to said one direction.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, and including the step of withdrawing the thread again in said one direction after a predetermined length of thread has been fed in reverse direction into said spinning chamber.

6. method as set forth in claim 5, and including the steps of feeding fibers to be spun along a given path into the spinning chamber, while the spun thread is Withdrawn out of the tube in said one direction, using said signal to deflect the fibers out of said given path so that the fibers will bypass the spinning chamber while the broken thread is moved in a direction opposite to said one direction and feeding the fibers again along said given path into the spinning chamber when said thread is again withdrawn in said one direction.

7. A spinning machine comprising, in combination, a spinning chamber rotatable about its axis and having an inlet end and an outlet end; drive means connected to said spinning chamber for rotating the latter about its axis; a delivery tube projecting in axial direction from said spinning chamber and having a receiving end at said outlet end of said chamber and an opposite delivery end; roller means beyond said delivery end of said tube rotatable about axes transverse to said axis of said spinning chamber for withdrawing a thread spun in said spinning chamber through said tube out of the latter; second drive means for driving said roller means in a given direction; thread sensing means in the region of said receiving end of the tube for sensing the presence and absence of a thread in said region; and reversing means controlled by said thread sensing means for reversing rotation of said roller means when said thread sensing means senses the absence of a thread in said region, whereby during breakage of the spun thread in said region the end of said broken thread is prevented from leaving said tube and is returned into said spinning chamber.

8. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 7 and including restoring means cooperating with said reversing means for restoring rotation of said roller means in said given direction after said roller means has made a predetermined number of revolutions in a direction opposite to said given direction.

9. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 7 and including feeding means upstream of said inlet end of said spinning chamber for feeding fibers to be spun along a given path into said inlet end of said spinning chamber; deflector means between said inlet end and said feeding means movable between an active position for deflecting fibers fed by said feeding means out of said given path so that said fibers will bypass said spinning chamber and an inactive position permitting said fibers to pass into said spinning chamber; and moving means controlled by said sensing means for moving said deflector means to said active position in the absence of a thread in said region of said delivery tube.

10. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 9 and including timer means controlled by said sensing means and cooperating with said moving means for causing said deflector means to return to said inoperative position a predetermined time after the end of a broken thread has been returned to the spinning chamber and said sensing means have sensed again the presence of a thread in said region of said delivery tube.

11. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 7 wherein said roller means include a pair of delivery rollers downstream of said delivery end of said tube and a lap roller adapted to wind the thread on a bobbin, and including a first shaft mounting said lap roller for rotation about its axis, a second shaft mounting one of said delivery rollers for rotation about its axis, and transmission means connecting said shafts for simultaneous rotation in the same direction.

12. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 11, wherein said reversing means include a pair of gears mounted on one of said shafts freely rotatable with respect thereto, a pair of gear means driven by said second drive means and respectively meshing with said pair of gears and constructed to drive one of said pair of gears in one direction and the other of said pair of gears in the opposite direction and coupling means controlled 'by said sensing means for coupling a selected one of said pair of gears to said one shaft.

13. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 11, wherein said reversing means include a first pair of spur gears mounted spaced from each other on one of said shafts, freely rotatable with respect thereto, an additional shaft substantially parallel to said one shaft and driven by said second drive means, a second pair of spur gears fixed to said additional shaft for rotation therewith, one of said second pair of gears meshing directly with one of said first pair of gears, an idle gear between the other of said first pair of gears and the other of said second pair of gears and meshing with the same, and magnetic clutch means controlled by said sensing means and arranged between said first pair of gears for coupling a selected one of said first pair of gears to said one shaft.

14. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 13, and including relay means controlled by said sensing means and connected to said magnetic clutch means for operating the latter.

15. A spinning machine as set forth in claim 12, wherein said coupling means are in the form of electromagnetic coupling means and including restoring means cooperating with said reversing means for restoring rotation or" said roller means in said given direction after said roller means have made a predetermined number of revolutions in the direction opposite to said given direction and wherein said restoring means include relay means for controlling said electromagnetic coupling means, switch means for controlling said relay means, a rotatable switch actuating member, and additional electromagnetic coupling means controlled by said sensing means for connecting said rotatable switch actuating member to one of said shafts for rotation therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,126,697 3/1964 Cizek et .al. 5758.89 3,132,465 5/1964 Putnam 5758.89 3,210,923 10/1965 Schlosser 5758.95

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. W. H. SCHROEDER, Assistanl Ex miner. 

1. A METHOD FOR PREVENTING INTERRUPTION OF A SPINNING PROCESS DURING BREAKAGE OF THE SPUN THREAD IN A SPINNING MACHINE HAVING A ROTATING SPINNING CHAMBER, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING THE SPUN THREAD IN ONE DIRECTION OUT OF A DELIVERY TUBE PROJECTING IN SAID ONE DIRECTION FROM SAID SPINNING CHAMBER; SENSING THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A THREAD IN ONE END PORTION OF THE TUBE ADJACENT THE SPINNING CHAMBER; PRODUCING WHEN THE THREAD BREAKS AND IN THE ABSENCE OF A THREAD IN SAID ONE END PORTION OF THE TUBE A SIGNAL; AND USING SAID SIGNAL TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF SAID BROKEN THREAD IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE SAID ONE DIRECTION BEFORE THE BROKEN END OF THE THREAD PASSES OUT OF THE TUBE SO AS TO RETURN THE BROKEN END INTO THE SPINNING CHAMBER. 